Balsamic Glazed Collard Greens with Carmelized Onions and Pine Nuts

I served these greens over crispy polenta cakes as a main course, but they would also be delicious as a side dish with your favorite pork chop or steak.  The sweetness of the onions and the balsamic balances the natural bite of the collards and the pine nuts add a yummy crunch.

Serves 2 as a Main Dish (over polenta or rice) or 4 as a Side Dish

Ingredients:
-1 bunch collard greens, washed and stems removed, sliced into thin ribbons
-1 onion, sliced
-1/4 cup pine nuts
-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1 tsp honey
-salt to taste
-olive oil for cooking

Method:
1. Heat a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and a little salt and cook, stirring frequently, until thoroughly caramelized (about 20-25 minutes).  The onions should come out soft, dark, and super sweet.

2.  Remove the onions from the skillet and set aside.  Add the pine nuts and cook gently until toasted and brown (careful: they burn quickly!).  Remove the pine nuts and set aside with the onions.

3.  Heat a bit more olive oil until nearly smoking.  Add the garlic and chili flakes and stir to combine.  Add the collards and cook, stirring frequently, until they are fully wilted (about 5-7 minutes).

4.  Add the vinegar, honey, and salt to taste.  Stir to combine.  Continue to cook until the liquid is gone from the pan and the vinegar no longer tastes sharp.

5.  Stir back in the onions and pine nuts and enjoy!

Autumn Delicata Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2 delicata squashes, peeled, seeds removed and chopped

2 cups cooked kidney beans
3-4 collard green leaves, chopped
1 bulb fennel, stalks removed and sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 large shallot, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil [rice bran or sesame oil will also work well]
5 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon of dried parsley or a handful of fresh, chopped
generous pinch of ground celery seed
generous pinch of dried thyme
5 cups of filtered water or vegetable broth
sea salt and coarse ground pepper to taste

1. Heat a large sauce or soup pot over low heat. Add the oil, onions, shallots and garlic; saute for about 5-10 minutes or until they become slightly translucent. Next add the sage, turmeric, paprika, parsley, celery seed, and thyme. Stir until the spices are blended well.

2. Add in the squash, fennel and water [or broth]. Simmer on low for about 30-45 minutes. Once the squash become tender add in the beans and collards. Simmer for another 10 minutes or so on low and serve.

Serves: 6-8
Total time: 1 hour

LIVING SIMPLY GLUTEN FREE

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Collard Rolls

 Today's delicious recipe comes from CSA member Sherrie, who writes a gluten free food blog called Living Simply Gluten Free. Sherrie is sharing her CSA experience and recipes on her blog, so be sure to check it out! If we're lucky, she may contribute a few of her creations to our blog as well, so keep your eyes peeled!

 

Ingredients:

-collard greens, 8-10 leaves

-1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

-2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

-1 large shallot, chopped

-1/4 tsp. garlic granules

-1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes [optional]

-2 TBS. butter or Earth Balance organic coconut spread

-sea salt to taste

Directions:

- Wash each leaf one by one, by hand and pat dry. Now cut off the stems so just the leaves are left behind. Fill up a large sauce pan with water and heat over high. Once the water has started to boil, reduce the heat to low. Place the leaves in the water and gently boil for about 3-5 minutes or until they've become pliable and bright green. 

- Fill up a medium sized pan with water and a pinch of salt; bring this to a rapid boil. Toss in the sweet potatoes and cook until the potatoes are soft and can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain the sweet potatoes and toss them back into the pot. Mash lightly by hand with a hand masher. Now add in the cooked quinoa, garlic granules and red pepper flakes; mix together. Taste the mixture and if desired, season with a little sea salt.

-To make the rolls simply take each leaf with the 'stem' end facing you and the rounded end pointing towards the top of your counter space. About an inch from the bottom of the leaf spoon on 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of the sweet potato mixture. Fold over the bottom section, tuck the sides in and roll up like you would a burrito. Don't worry this can take some practice! Repeat until each leaf if filled and rolled. 

- In a large frying pan heat together the chopped shallots and butter [or coconut spread] over low heat. Once the butter is melted down and the shallots are heated through pour the mixture into a small bowl and set aside. Fill the pan with the rolls and pour the shallot mixture over the top; cover with a lid and simmer on low for about 10-15 minutes. The leaves will get darker on the bottom, but should not get browned. So, if this starts to happen either turn down the heat or remove them from the heat altogether. 

Serves: 4 

Total time: 40 minutes

Here Come the Greens! Banana Breakfast Sushi

This is the first week of our spring/summer CSA season and that means one thing...greens! For inspiration in the kitchen , we'll be posting several recipes this week using a variety of greens. First up is Banana Breakfast Sushi. This recipe is slightly adapted from the blog Choosing Raw and utilizes collards to make a delicious and easy breakfast wrap.

Banana Breakfast Sushi

by Gena Hamshaw

Ingredients (1 serving)

• 1 banana
• 1 large collard, kale, or romaine lettuce leaf
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 1 tsp maple syrup

Instructions

• Cut the thickest part of the stem of your leaf wrapper out with a “V” shaped cut.
• Spread the tablespoon of almond butter into the crease of the leaf.
• Drizzle it with about a teaspoon of maple syrup
• Cut your banana in half, and layer it so that it’s straight in the center of the leaf.
• Fold up all of the edges bottom edges, and then and wrap it up neatly from right to left.
• Slice into 3-5 pieces (depending on the length) and enjoy!

Meat Stuffed Collard Cakes

 In this month’s issue of Food and Wine Magazine, I found a recipe for “Meat Stuffed Cabbage Cakes”.  I made some adaptations to the recipe, mainly using my collards instead of cabbage and replacing the ground veal in the filling with ground turkey.  This dish is delicious, packed with nutrients, and one cake with the broth is very filling and satisfying.  Perfect for a fall night!

I personally think that the collard leaves were much easier to roll and prepare than cabbage in this recipe.  They wilt in a matter of seconds and do not require the hassle of peeling apart a head.  My addition of fresh turmeric added another flavor level to the broth that the cakes bath in as well as jacking up the health benefits of the dish. 
This definitely made a lot of filling so I placed the rest in a loaf pan and froze it as a meatloaf main for another meal, bonus!

Meat-Stuffed Collard Cakes

Adapted from F&W magazine, October 2011 issue
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/meat-stuffed-cabbage-cakes
1.5 pound ground turkey
1/2 pound (2 link)  sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 1/2 cups cooked Arborio rice (I sautéed it with onion and a little diced peppers)
1 medium shallot, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 black garlic cloves, minced
½ cup green peas
3T Dijon mustard
½ cup grated parm cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
½ t paprika
At least 14-16 large, flat collard leaves, rinsed with ribs cut out
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely diced
¾ cup chopped celery
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
2 t fresh minced turmeric
3 cloves chopped white garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine or Marsala cooking wine
2 cups chicken stock

1. In a bowl, combine the turkey, sausage, rice, shallots, garlic, green peas, cheese, mustard, eggs, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and the paprika. 
2. In a large pan of boiling water, submerge the collard leaves, a few at a time. Simmer until the leaves are softened, about 30 seconds. Using tongs transfer the leaves to paper towels and pat dry. 3. Line a small bowl with an 8-by-10-inch piece of plastic wrap. Drape a leave in the bowl.  Spoon 1/2 cup of the stuffing in the center of the leaf and fold the leaf over to enclose the stuffing. Cover with the overhanging plastic wrap and twist to form a compact, round cake. Unwrap the cake. Repeat with the remaining collard leaves and stuffing.

 

4. Preheat the oven to 350°. In an enameled cast-iron casserole, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery, garlic, turmeric, and carrot and cook over moderately low heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the stock and season with salt and pepper. Add the collard cakes, seam sides down.5. Cover and bake for about 35 minutes, until the filling is cooked through.  * I had to add a little water to my broth because the veggies had absorbed it. Transfer the cakes to shallow bowls and ladle in the broth. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cilantro and serve.  * A little freshly grated cheese was nice with this too.

Grits and Greens Casserole

From EatingWell: March/April 2010

Here we've combined two favorite Southern side dishes - grits and greens - into one casserole. Try omitting the bacon and using vegetable broth to make it a vegetarian dish.

Serves 6

Ingredients
4 slices bacon, chopped (optional)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 cups chopped collard greens, stems removed (about 1 large bunch, 1 1/2 - 2 pounds)
2 cups water, plus more as needed
1 cup grits (not instant)
3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup prepared salsa
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Place bacon (if using) in a large dutch oven . Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off the bacon fat.
3. Return the pot to medium-low heat; add oil, onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and starting to brown in spots, 2 to 8 minutes (cooking time will be quicker if you started with bacon). Add 1 cup broth and salt; bring to a boil over high heat. Add collards; stir until wilted down to about one-third the volume and bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Adjust heat during cooking to mainatin a simmer, and add water, 1/4 cup at a time, if the pan seems dry.
4. Meanwhile, bring 2 cups water and the remaining 1 cup broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Pour in grits in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, whisking often, until thick, about 5 minutes. Combine 1/2 cup cheese, salsa and egg in a small bowl. Remove the grits from the heat and quickly stir in the cheese mixture until combined.
5. Working quickly, spread about half the grits in the prepared baking dish. Top with greens, spreading evenly. Spread the remaining grits over the greens. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and the reserved bacon (if using).
6. Bake the casserole until hot and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

Collard Wraps

Here's a quick and easy snack or appetizer to use up those collards & mushrooms from this week. Adapted from this recipe at Rawthentic Soul.

Ingredients
Equal parts of the following five ingredients (adjust based on how many collard greens you have to fill)
Avocado
Shredded Carrots
Shredded Zucchini
Thinly Sliced Onions
Chopped Portabello Mushrooms

Enough Bragg's Liquid Amino to coat the ingredients above
Collards (washed, stems removed)

Directions
1. Combine the first five ingredients
2. Toss in Bragg's Amino to coat, stir all ingredients well
3. Open up a collard, inside facing up.
4. Scoop a healthy quantity of veggie mix onto the leaf (drain excess from bowl if there's too much liquid)
5. Roll like a burrito
6. Serve!

Confetti Pancakes

Thank you to Maryland CSA shareholder Julie, who shared this recipe from a friend's blog, Bitchin' Dietitian. She tells her twins that these pancakes are "confetti pancakes" and adds a teaspoon of agave to cut the bitterness of the collard greens.

Confetti Pancakes
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sweetener (agave nectar, sugar, etc.)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup shredded zucchini
¼ cup finely diced collard greens
¼ cup shredded carrot
dark chocolate chips, optional (“Chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, anyone?!”)

Directions
Mix all ingredients together, and add more almond milk as needed for thinner pancakes. Cook in a large skillet with a touch of oil. Add fruit sauce, maple syrup, agave, or nothing at all.

Komatsuna with Garlic, Raisins & Pine Nuts

What looked something like collard greens in this week’s share were komatsuna, a Japanese green leafy with, I think, a fairly mild flavor. Milder than collards or kale, for sure. When I’m in doubt about what to do with something green, I usually just add garlic and lemon, salt and pepper, and a little olive oil…and its gotta taste good! I threw in some raisins and pine nuts, which I guess must make this dish sort of a Mediterranean-Asian fusion…The best part is, NO COOKING required, which means your kitchen stays cooler, there is one fewer pan to wash, and all of the nutrients in your greens, raisins and pine nuts are raring to go!

One medium bunch greens (here, komatsuna, but kale, chard, collards, and escarole are all tasty this way!)
1/3 cup raisins
¼ cup raw (untoasted) pine nuts
1 large clove of garlic
½ a lemon
Olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper

Remove the hard part of the stems/stalks from your greens, and stack them, slicing several leaves at a time into ½ inch ribbons. (Be sure to wash and dry them well either before or after slicing!) Place greens in a large bowl, with some room to toss them.
Slice/shave garlic into very very thin slices. There are special little slicers for this, or you could use a vegetable peeler.
Toss garlic, raisins and pine nuts with greens, as well as 2 teaspoons of lemon juice (or more, to taste), a tablespoon of olive oil (to coat the greens – use a little more if you have a really big bunch!), a ¼ teaspoon of salt, and a dash of black pepper. Toss really well until every thing is coated, and adjust lemon, salt and pepper to taste.
Cover, and let sit for ½ hour or so before serving, tossing a couple more times. This will server several people as a side dish, or makes a great big salad, as well!

Garlic Collards with Black-Eyed Peas

Thank you to Kim, a CSA shareholder from Harlem, NY for the following recipe!

Garlic Collards with Black-Eyed Peas
Ingredients
1 bunch collard greens, washed and wilted, boiled, or steamed (…your preference)
apple cider vinegar
sea salt
1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
10 ounces of white, cremini, or shiitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped
Old Bay seasoning
Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 can of black-eyed peas

Directions
Wilt, boil, or steam collard greens in 1 to 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and sea salt. Sauté the mushrooms and garlic until the mushrooms have released all of their water. Add sea salt and Old Bay seasoning to the mushroom/garlic mixture to taste. Drain collard greens, remove rough stems, and chop leaves. Add the greens to the mushrooms and garlic, as well as a squirt or two of Bragg’s Aminos. Strain and rinse a can of black eye peas, warm them, and serve on top.

Sweet Potatoes and Greens

The following recipe, courtesy of current White House chef, Sam Kass, was submitted by our Bala Cynwyd CSA site host, Hannah. She writes, “It was delicious, even without the cinnamon, cloves and honey.”

Sweet Potatoes and Greens
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 or 3 large sweet potatoes
2 bunches of greens (chard, kale or collards)
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground gloves
salt and pepper
¼ tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil

Directions
1. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces
2. Heat half the oil in pan over medium heat, and add potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just brown on all sides and soft (about 12-15 minutes, depending on size). When cooked, add spices and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, wash the greens (do not dry), remove stems and cut leaves into small pieces. Heat remaining oil over medium heat, add the garlic and cook for a minute before adding greens. Stir often and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Combine potatoes, honey and lemon juice with the greens, stir and serve.

Torte of Collard Greens and Cheese

Thank to Bruce, a shareholder from Silver Spring, MD, for sharing the following collard greens recipe with us!

Torte of Collard Greens and Cheese
Serves 8

Ingredients
2 bunches collards, stemmed and cut in shreds
½ lb Gruyere cheese, grated
½ lb Asiago or Manchego cheese, grated
4 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and set a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Blanch collards in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain well.
2) Mix all ingredients and spread evenly into a 9x9 baking dish. Bake until the cheese on top browns, about 30 to 45 minutes. Serve hot.

Portuguese Green Soup

Jeanine, a CSA shareholder from Rockville, MD, writes, "Here are two amazing recipes I used this week with the veggies in my CSA share. Both are fantastic!" The following recipe was originally published in Bon Appétit in November of 2004. Thank you, Jeanine!

Portuguese Green Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch collard greens, center stems cut away, leaves thinly sliced
1 pound fully cooked spicy sausage (such as linguiça, andouille, or hot links), cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
5 3/4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 3/4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Directions
Heat olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is soft and golden , about 5 minutes. Add collard greens and sauté until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add sausage and sauté 5 minutes. Add broth and potatoes. Simmer soup uncovered until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer 2 cups soup (without sausage) to processor. Blend until smooth; return to pot of soup and bring to simmer. Mix in crushed red pepper. Season with salt and black pepper.

Collard Greens with Bacon

Collard Greens with Bacon
(Adapted from SimplyRecipes.com, October 2008)
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 to 6 strips thick-sliced bacon
1 small red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
several dashes hot sauce
¼ cup apple-cider vinegar
1 bunch collard greens, sliced into ¼-inch-wide strips (can substitute kale or chard)
1 cup chicken broth

Directions
1. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Cook the bacon in the skillet until it just begins to brown around the edges, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and cook until they have softened and are just starting to brown.
2. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and hot sauce. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about a minute. Add the vinegar, bring to a simmer, and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by half, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
3. Add the collard greens and the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the temperature to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the collard greens have wilted and have lost their brightness. Season to taste with additional vinegar and hot sauce. Serve hot.